Coors Light beats Budweiser to become America’s second-favorite brew

Coors Light became the second-most popular beer in the country in 2011, edging between Bud Light and Budweiser, which had held the No. 1 and No. 2 for nearly two decades.

The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday on the beer rankings, which were collected Beer Marketer’s Insight. Last year’s top selling brews were:

1. Bud Light

2. Coors Light

3. Budweiser

4. Miller Light

5. Natural Light

From the story:

According to Beer Marketer’s Insights, Coors Light sales grew 0.8 percent, to 18.3 million barrels in 2011, while Budweiser sales declined 4.6 percent to 17.7 million barrels. The data includes Puerto Rico and exports.

The trade publication added that this is the first time since 1993 that Anheuser-Busch has not had both of the top two selling beers.

It’s still a pretty close race. Beer Marketer’s Insights noted that SymphonyIRI data, which excludes Walmart, club stores and liquor stores, still shows Budweiser with a lead over Coors Light.